1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention relates to garage doors, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved door sealing apparatus that accommodates wear within seals of a garage door to framework arrangement to maintain a sealing arrangement therebetween limiting heat loss from the garage to an exterior environment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In contemporary construction, garages are typically formed as part of the dwelling of the house to avoid the traditional walk from the house to a detached garage during inclement weather. In an energy conscious society, heat loses through garage doors that are lacking in appropriate sealing engagement with a surround framework have proven to be unacceptable. Garage doors of the prior art have only nominally been concerned with sealing and while this has been a consideration, there has heretofore not been an affective organization to properly provide a mechanical arrangement to accommodate seal wear to enable a garage door to properly sealingly interfit with the framework.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,480,863 to Hormann sets forth a latch assembly for use in combination with a garage door and the like to properly secure a garage door to an associated track, but as is typically of prior art arrangements, the energy loss through the garage door subsequent to latching is of a secondary consideration.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,309,437 to Blodgett sets forth an adjustable bearing for use with garage door locking bolts to accommodate wear within the locking arrangement. While of interest relative to garage door attaching members, the Blodgett patent does not set forth a means to accommodate wear within a sealing arrangement in a garage door to framework relationship.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,228,361 to O'Neil sets forth another example of a garage door and lock to securedly maintain a garage door in contiguous relationship to a framework. The O'Neil patent, as is typical of the other prior art patents, does not set forth a means of accommodating a seal in its wear pattern in association with a garage door framework.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,189,019 to Rowe sets forth a further example of a typical overhead reciprocating garage door formed with a plurality of tracks and rollers slidable within said tracks for maintaining orientation of the garage door relative to an associated framework. The Rowe patent utilizes means for effecting lateral movement of the door and panels into a sealing engagement with the door jambs after the panels reach a fully downward position. The mechanism utilized resiliently enhanced latch bars to effect a lock and sealing association of the door with respect to a door jamb.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,724,995 to Dautrick sets forth a garage door wherein lowering of the door will force the door into abutment with a door casing to ensure a sealing engagement therewith by the use of typical rollers and the like associated within a track work to effect such engagement.
As such, it may be appreciated that there is a continuing need for a new and improved door sealing apparatus wherein the same effectively and repeatedly sealingly secures a garage door in operative engagement with an associated garage door framework.